Neurotransmitter-hormonal responses to psychological stress in peripubertal subjects: relationship to aggressive behavior.
The relationship between different degrees of normal aggressiveness (low, medium, high) and neurotransmitter-neuroendocrine responses to the administration of psychologically stressful tests (Mental Arithmetic, Stroop Color Word Interference task, Trial Social Stress test) was examined in thirty male peripubertal junior school adolescents. Plasma concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EPI), ACTH, cortisol (CORT), growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and testosterone (T) were measured immediately before the beginning of the tests and at their end, 30 min later. High-normal aggressiveness have been found associated with significantly higher basal concentrations of NE, ACTH, PRL, and T and with a significant increase of GH responses to the stressful stimuli.
Gerra
G
G
Addiction Research Center, Ser.T.-A.U.S.L. Parma, Italy.
Zaimovic
A
A
Giucastro
G
G
Folli
F
F
Maestri
D
D
Tessoni
A
A
Avanzini
P
P
Caccavari
R
R
Bernasconi
S
S
Brambilla
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D006728:Hormones; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D012701:Serotonin; D013739:Testosterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine